Finally! Another chapter! I've been writing this forever, and it underwent many changes. It has some scenes that were supposed to appear long ago, but yeah...they just got here now. :)
It has been a packed week, and I'm so happy to post this is at the end of the week.
This chapter is longer than usual, because of the much-awaited M-rated scene. Enjoy!
Warning: This scene contains adult material. Skip the last bit if you don't like that kind of stuff. 18+ only.
"I'd rather have you than dinner any day." -Remus Lupin, later in this chapter.
Hermione turned uneasily in her bed.
She tried not to concentrate on the low whines that were coming from the next room. She'd been as startled when he'd transformed last night as the time she had first heard it happen.
His howls had filled the rooms and she'd shivered, listening to the inhuman sound. Her heart had ached as she'd listened to him in pain, his body morphing.
Now, he didn't sound like he was in pain, he just sounded...uneasy.
There was about a half-hour to sunrise, and neither of them had gotten a wink of sleep yet.
And so she lay there, listening to the wolf's sounds, as the sky became lighter and lighter. And when the moon set, she heard a deep growl from the wolf.
She shut her eyes tight. She hated the re-tranformation almost as much as the transformation.
Suddenly, there was a series of yelps from behind the door. Then there was a screeching howl. Petrified, Hermione sat up. Unmistakably, a loud howl of pain echoed from behind the door.
Her fear of the wolf mixing with her fear for Lupin, Hermione rushed to the barricaded door.
"R-Remus? Are you okay?"
Then there was a heart-wrenching cry from behind the door, and she put her hands on the bolt, thinking fast. She knew she should never open the door, and even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Horace charmed the doors after Remus went in. Just opening the bolt wouldn't work.
Almost like clockwork, Horace arrived a few minutes later. He saw Hermione nervously pacing in front of the door.
She looked up at him and said, in a trembling voice, "Something's wrong. When he- he transformed back... he howled. In pain. More than usual, I mean."
Horace's face darkened in concern.
"If you'll step away, then, dear."
He pointed his wand at the door, and the charms fell away. The door swung open, and he stepped inside slowly.
Hermione could make out Remus lying on the floor, his hand outstretched toward the door. His eyes were half-closed.
"Oh, no. Get Madame Pomfrey. Ask her to come right now instead of later. Tell her the Wolfsbane didn't work."
Hermione looked appalled. "W-hat? It didn't –"
"No time to talk now, Miss G- em, Mrs. Lupin. He's in pain, and he needs medicines."
Hermione rushed out, as Horace smoothly levitated Remus onto the closest bed, which was Hermione's. Then he set about healing the numerous small cuts all over his body. He was just finishing up when Pomfrey arrived.
"Horace, what-"
"Resistance." Horace replied, and Pomfrey nodded grimly.
She opened up her medical kit, saying, "Alright, then. Let's take some blood for evaluation."
Hermione stepped forward. She said, "Wait. What do you mean the potion didn't work?"
Horace looked sorry. He said, "It's been 5 years since he started taking the potion, Hermione. His wolf was going to gain resistance sometime or the other. Now we'll have to strengthen the dose hereafter. But that will weaken him after the full moon."
"We can talk about that later. What he needs now is his rest," said Madame Pomfrey, dripping drops of potions from vials onto the bigger wounds on his body.
She came to the largest one, on his chest. There was a huge gash, and as she poured a violet liquid onto it, Remus gasped, and his body arched in pain. His eyes shot open, and Hermione gave a cry.
Madame Pomfrey said soothingly, "That's the last one, Remus. Now, you have the ointment. You know what to do."
Remus gave her a look to show he understood.
Taking a last look at him, Horace and Madam Pomfrey left.
As she walked them out and shut the door, Hermione felt sobs overcome her. She stood outside the door to her room, trying to hold in her tears, not wanting Remus to hear.
"Hermione," he called. His voice still sounded in pain, so she rushed in, wiping her tears.
"Does it still hurt badly? Do you want some medicine?"
He looked at her, and beckoned weakly for her to sit next to him.
He looked at her bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
"You know, nobody has cried for me like this, except my family?"
Tears welled even more quickly in her eyes and spilled onto her chest.
"Hey... stop...don't. Don't cry for me, Hermione."
"Horace said you're resisting the Wolfsbane. Increasing the dose will make you weaker after the full moon."
"We knew this was coming one day."
"Is- is that what happened at sunrise? The potion-"
"- couldn't hold the wolf in anymore. He gained full control, and that made the re-transformation more painful than it has been in 5 years."
Hermione's lower lip quivered, and Remus tugged on her arm lightly. "Come here."
Hermione lay down next to him, her side touching his naked form ever so slightly, so asto not hurt his newly re-tranformed, healed and sore muscles.
She tried not to think about him being naked under the blanket. And she realised that Madame Pomfrey had healed his cuts while he was still naked.
When Remus smirked at her, she realised she's said the last bit aloud. She flushed a deep red.
Remus said in a serious voice, "She's saw me naked every month I was at Hogwarts, and now every month I've taught here."
Hermione's eyes widened. She muttered something that Remus couldn't hear, but could guess.
Remus chuckled, but cut off suddenly as he gave a small gasp.
"Could you get that ointment from the bathroom?"
Soon Hermione returned with the ointment that he'd used on her that day when she'd gotten burnt from the fire. He put his hand out to take the cup from her, and she raised an eyebrow.
"If you think I'm going to let you rub that on yourself, you're thinking wrong."
Remus tried to protest, but Hermione ignored him, clambering next to him. She took a liberal amount of the ointment in hand and rubbed it all over his chest.
Her hands gently massaged the ointment into the muscles, and the ointment slowly seeped through his skin. His eyes fluttered, in pleasure or from the sleep the ointment induced, Hermione didn't know.
He winced as Hermione touched the healed gash over his heart. Hermione apologised profusely, moving to the sides of his torso. Her hands dipped along the subtle v-shape to his hips, and as she ran her fingers over his stomach, he let out a slow moan.
Immediately, Hermione went slightly red. She kept clear of the area above his hips, which were anyway covered by the blanket, thankfully.
She slathered ointment onto his arms, pressing the pads of her fingers into his biceps lightly, letting the ointment soak in.
As she finished, she leaned over him. His eyes latched onto hers as she leaned to kiss his cheek. Swiftly, he turned his head so her kiss landed on his lips, chaste, lasting only a second.
He murmured, "Thank you." Before falling asleep.
It was a few days before Remus came back to normal. It seemed like his body was weaker, though actually, from what Horace had said, it was stronger. It was beginning to fight the Wolfsbane potion, and by doing so, preventing them from stopping the pain.
Remus needed longer hours of sleep, and Hermione made sure he got it. Once he stayed up a few hours later than usual drawing up a test for the sixth-years, and the next day he was dead on his feet from tiredness.
Hermione had asked permission from Minerva to take him for a walk outside the school grounds. Minerva, kind woman she was, had understood and accepted.
And that was how, Hermione and Remus, bundled up against the nippy December air, were heading out on a Saturday morning. Thankfully it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, and she was glad they could have some time together outside the school, where they had to hide their relationship, even from the people who knew about the marriage.
The sun was shining weakly, enough for them to take of their thick coats, but leave on their sweater and scarf. They walked down the path to Hogsmeade. It looked lazy this Saturday morning, and even the Three Broomsticks was running a slow business.
They had just had breakfast, and didn't really feel like drinking Butterbeer, so they headed further down the road. Suddenly, Hermione's eyes lit up in delight as she saw something in a store window. Pulling on his hand excitedly, she dragged him into the store.
Looking around, Remus tried to hide his amusement. It was a bookstore.
Hermione was at the window, talking to the shop owner. He handed her the book off the display, and she held it reverently.
Walking up to her, Remus looked over her shoulder at the book.
'The Wand Chooses the Wizard'
"Hermione? Are you obsessed with that Charms lesson of yours? Don't tell me this was on Flitwick's reading list."
Hermione looked across her shoulder at him. "Flitwick never gave us a list. It was my list."
Sighing, she handed it back to the manager. Smiling ruefully at him, she said, "I just wanted to hold it. I could never afford it, of course."
Remus sauntered over to another bookshelf. And there they stayed, browsing the bookshelves until the sun rose higher.
After lunch at the Three Broomsticks, Hermione and Remus were on a bench under a tree at the top of a hillock. They faced away from the village, and the hillock shielded them from view.
They were sheltered from the wind, but even so Hermione shifted closer until she could feel Remus' warmth.
There was a comfortable silence, and Remus broke it.
"I saw your Herbology project has turned green again."
"The Coriarose? Yes. Are you sure you never watered it, though?" Hermione asked, slightly apprehensive.
"What? Oh, no, I never watered it. Why do you ask?"
Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. The plant had stayed drooped when Remus had fallen sick that day before the full moon, and also throughout the full moon. Only when he was strong enough to go back to classes, the leaves had all turned back to green. It wasn't flowering yet, but Hermione was just glad it hadn't died.
"Oh, nothing. Just that I should be the only one to do that. Just making sure."
Remus eyed her, seeming to sense she was hiding something.
Quickly, Hermione changed the topic.
"Guess what? I got a letter from the Ministry."
Remus' eyes widened in slight excitement. "What is it? Have they found your parents?"
Hermione was silent, her eyes taking in the landscape around her.
Remus expression became one of concern. "What's wrong? They're not-"
"They haven't found them. They've narrowed down the area. But they say they won't help anymore."
"What?" said Remus. "What do you mean, they won't help?"
"They think the circumstances under which they were put in this condition are questionable."
Remus took in what she really meant, then said, in a long breath, "No! They can't blame you."
Hermione was silent, and Remus caught her chin, turning it forcefully to face him.
"Now you listen to me. You did the best you could do before the war. And now it's over. You've protected them, and you will get them back. So don't worry."
Hermione didn't reply to what he said. Instead, she said, "I'm going to ask McGonagall if I can take a few weeks off after the New Year, when school reopens."
Remus looked questioning, and then it sank in.
"No. You're not going alone."
"What? Of course I am!"
"No, Hermione, it's not safe."
"Why the hell not?"
Hermione had expected a little worry, maybe some reluctance, but this? Not at all.
"It's dangerous."
"Really? What is so dangerous about me looking for my parents, who can't even remember me, for god's sakes?"
"I don't know, Hermione. Why are the Ministry and the Embassy so reluctant to help you?" said Remus, a flash of apprehensiveness flitting across his face.
"That might be so, but I'm not letting you go traipsing around some foreign country all by yourself."
"You won't let me go?"
Remus caught her by the shoulder, looked into her eyes.
"No. I won't let you go. All by yourself. I'm coming with you."
Hermione blinked. Feeling a sudden rush of warmth fill her, at how much he cared about her, she enveloped him in a hug.
"Oh, Remus. Thank you."
He gave her a soft kiss, his lips warm and soft and sweet to her.
He pulled back from her. Suddenly, he jumped back.
There was a boy standing a few feet from them, looking at them intently.
And then he started to bawl.
Hermione jumped up and rushed to the boy.
"Hey! Come here...It's okay, don't be scared. Shhh...stop crying, it's okay."
The boy calmed down a little, sniffing lightly. Hermione asked, "What's wrong? Are you lost? Where's your mommy?"
The boy instead, said, "Have you seen an owl?"
Hermione replied, "An owl? Are you looking for your owl? You shouldn't worry, I'm sure your owl will find the way back home. Owls don't get lost."
The boy shook his head, still looking upset.
Hermione knelt next to him, asking, "What's your name?"
"Paul," he sniffed.
"Alright, Paul, let's get you home. Come on." And saying so, she took his hand, and Remus and she walked down the pathway. The boy led them around the hillock, and they saw a tiny cottage. It looked barely enough for 2 people.
A woman rushed out from inside, wiping flour-dusted hands on an apron.
"Paulus! How many times have I told you not to sneak down to the village without telling me?"
She glanced at Hermione and Lupin, and said, "Thank you for bringing him back. He does wander so."
Hermione replied, "I'm a student from the castle. We found him. He was upset about his owl."
On hearing that she was from Hogwarts, the woman gave a questioning look at Lupin, but didn't ask anything. She invited them in for tea, but they declined politely.
As they were walking back to the castle, Remus suddenly took her hand. He murmured, "I'll ask Minerva about going to Australia."
Remus was walking down the corridor. He couldn't believe his luck. He had just spoken to McGonagall to ask for permission for him to escort Hermione to Australia over the New Year holidays. Her reaction had been totally unexpected, and now that he was heading back to the room, he had to tell Hermione.
He entered, and found her asleep in front of the fire, curled up next to Crookshanks. He looked at the near wall, surprised to see that she had set up the old-fashioned projector and had been in the middle of a movie. She woke as he shut the door lightly, and opened her eyes groggily.
Lupin struggled to keep his face blank, and said, "Hermione, I spoke to McGonagall."
All traces of sleep gone, she sat up, still swathed in the blanket.
Remus said softly, "She doesn't think it's a good idea for us to spend all of January looking for your parents."
Hermione looked upset. She had not imagined, that after convincing Remus, that Minerva would be a problem. Why did this always happen to her?
Remus knelt next to her, enveloping her in a soft hug. He said, "That's why she wants us to leave for Australia this week."
Hermione froze. Pulling back, she stared at Remus in a daze. "She-"
Remus grinned at her, and nodded. "I suggested. She approved."
Hermione let out a yell of surprise, at the same time giving him a playful slap on his chest. He chuckled, and settled himself on the pillows next to her. Waving at the projector, he said, "What are you watching?"
Hermione smiled lightly, saying, "Pride and prejudice."
Remus raised an eyebrow. Hermione thought he was mocking her, but he said, "And you fell asleep in the middle of Pride and Prejudice?"
Hermione laughed. "I was tired from learning for yesterday's Arithmancy test."
Remus began to rearrange the pillows, and waved his wand, multiplying them wordlessly.
"Remus! What are you doing? I have enough pillows."
Remus laughed, saying, "You might. I don't."
"You're going to watch it with me?"
"Yes, well, I haven't seen this version. Keira Nightley is very good, I heard, as Elizabeth Bennet."
"That she is," said Hermione, and the movie recommenced.
'Darcy is a good friend. He recently saved from quite a bit of trouble.' a man on screen was saying.
'Is that true?'
A few minutes later, Elizabeth encountered Darcy outside the church. And as he began to confess his love to Elizabeth, Remus looked over at Hermione.
Her eyes were intent on the movie, drinking in every word spoken.
'You have bewitched me'
Remus drank in the sight of her rosy cheeks and bright eyes, relecting light from the movie. How much he had come to love her, he thought.
Wait, love? Did he just think love?
Pondering over it again and again, he realised he just might. She was strong, kind, lovely, caring, and it was amazing she was even his friend. He knew, from childhood, how hard it was to make friends who lasted, being a werewolf. But she, had asked for nothing, when they became friends. She had given everything, comforting him, caring for him, even asking him to fight for Tonks when Remus had still loved her, before the divorce.
Now Elizabeth was furiously spurning Darcy's advances, in an impressive rant of all the reasons she would never consider him a suitor.
Suddenly Elizabeth and Darcy were close, their faces inches away. There was a moment, suspended in tension, and Hermione's eyes flickered to his. Seeing that he was watching her intently, she jumped and turned her attention quickly back to the movie.
Back on screen, the moment had passed, but Remus put an arm around Hermione, turning her to face him. He leaned forward to kiss her, deep and long, and the only sound was that of rain pitter-pattering on the roof, in the movie.
He pulled back, and looked into her eyes.
Slowly, deliberately, he said, "I love you."
There was a long pause. Hermione looked startled at first, then slightly awkward. She said, "Remus...I don't want to lie to you."
Remus rushed ahead, "No. You don't have to say it just because I did."
There was a silence, and conversation resumed onscreen, but they could still feel the silence from her unsaid words.
Leaning forward, she said, "I care about you so much. We have been through so much. I love so many things about you. I'm definitely on my way to loving you, but I can't lie to you and give you the answer you expect, Remus."
There was another silence, more bearable this time. Hermione looked at him nervously, wondering if she'd said something wrong. Remus' gaze softened as his apprehension and slight sting of hurt faded away.
This was the girl he loved. Honest, kind, lovely Hermione.
He smiled at her, and nodded. "I understand."
About an hour later, she was flopped onto her pillows, the music from the credits filling the room. Remus disappeared into the next room. A moment later, he came back with a tray laden with food.
"Dinner," he said.
"Movie and dinner? What did I do to get a surprise date?" laughed Hermione.
Soon, they were biting into the food.
About ten minutes later, she spilt pumpkin juice onto the blanket she was wrapped in.
"Oh, no," she moaned. She desperately tried to swab at it with more tissues.
"It's alright," he said. "Take it off. I know a simple spell that works better than Scourgify."
Hermione said, in a high voice, "No, that's okay. I can get the stain out later."
"No, it might leave a pale mark. Go on, take it off, it's not that cold. The fire's brighter now."
Hermione went slightly red, saying, "I'm fine like this, thanks."
Hermione deliberately took a large bite of her food, and dripped sauce onto her chin. Her tongue darted out, trying to lick it off. Remus laughed, watching her. She couldn't reach it, though. She was making a face, and then tried to reach for the tissues.
Before she could take one, though, Remus surprised her by wiping it off with his finger. His other finger drifted over to her lips, which parted slightly in anticipation.
Setting his plate aside, he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
As his tongue explored hers, she moaned lightly. Merlin, she'd missed this. She always waited for him to kiss her first after the full moon, knowing that he would be in pain. She did not dare ask him about the sexual urges. It was almost like waiting for the first kiss from him, only every month.
It had been three days since the full moon, two days since they had kissed in Hogsmeade(which had been sweet, not fiery like this one), and much longer than she could remember since that day she'd woken up straddling him. She'd been thinking of doing a repeat on that ever since, but every day, something or the other came up.
His hands were already pulling off her blanket before she realised what was happening. He pulled back, surprised, to see that she was only wearing shorts and a bra.
"So this is why you wouldn't take off the blanket."
His mouth trailed to the side of her neck as his hands ghosted over the sides of her breasts.
"Remus!" she gasped. "I shouldn't...not after..."
He paused. "Not after I told you I love you?"
She nodded, looking upset.
"You're not using me, Hermione. We're just at different stages of caring. But I know we both want this..."
Saying so, he let his fingers trail over her neck and across her bra.
She gasped, her cheeks blushing a flaming red.
With a growl, he moved so that he was flush against her, no space left between their chests.
Slowly, slowly, he lowered her onto the pillows on the floor. He lowered his lips to hers, taking her lower lip between his teeth and pulling slightly. His hands, meanwhile, began to rub over her breasts, slowly at first, but more and more impatiently.
His rough fingers felt so good even through the material of her bra, and she remembered, as if from a long lost dream, how it felt, skin on skin.
"Remus..." she breathed, and he paused, his lips at the top of the depression between her breasts.
He pulled back, and she bit back a whimper.
"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.
"Please..." she said, "don't stop."
She lay there, panting heavily, as he removed his shirt and his pants, until he was in just his boxers, and then clambered on top of her. He placed his lips on her neck again, kissing and sucking her skin. Then he reached behind to snap her bra. He pulled down the straps until the material was only just sticking to her.
He leaned forward, put his lips against hers, and said, "I'd rather have you than dinner any day."
And saying so, he reached between them to slide the bra off her and threw it over his head.
Without warning, he dipped and took her right breast into his mouth. His tongue roved over her, and the flickering sensations made Hermione's blood rush to her abdomen.
He laved her nipple with his two front teeth, and she arched under him, pulling on his hair. He switched to her other breast, his hands meanwhile trailing back under her skirt and his hip grinding into hers.
She could feel his hardness pressing against her, and she involuntarily pushed her hips forward, rubbing against him. Surprised, he bit her lightly on her breast, and she yelped, in pleasure, not pain.
She was still under him. Holding himself so his weight didn't rest entirely on her, his mouth began to trail down her chest. He licked the underside of her breasts, and Hermione shivered at the feeling. Slowly, his fingers began to trail upward from her knee. It roamed over her inner thighs, and she froze, as his fingers grazed...close...to there.
Remus slowly pulled her shorts down, going slowly even after the shorts had reached her knee. Hermione knew this was his way of asking her if she was okay with it, and she way. He then went for her panties, and as he peeled them off, his nostrils flared.
Hermione almost died of embarrassment. He could smell her.
She was grateful that at least he couldn't see her naked and exposed, in the half-light of the fire.
Torturously slowly, he started again, from her knee. This time, when he reached her inner thigh, he cupped her warmth, and she moaned.
"Are you a virgin?" he asked.
"Yes..." she breathed, so low, he almost couldn't hear.
"Then this might hurt," he said, and one finger brushed over folds. She bit her lip, trying to keep in another embarrassing moan, as she realised what he was about to do.
Suddenly, he dipped a finger into her. Hermione's eyes rolled back into her head as she felt his finger inside her, stretching her. Her body was clenched around his finger in pleasure, among another array of sensations. Her pleasure redoubled when he added another finger. Slowly, he started pushing his fingers in and out, in and out, until the feel of his hand against her insides was driving her crazy.
Just when she had gotten used to the feeling of two fingers where they had never been before, he stretched his fingers, making a 'V' shape inside of her.
She grunted, he nails digging into his shoulder, as she tried to contain a convulsion. As his fingers pumped in and out, she could feel the blood building in her head and release building in her abdomen. She began to pant loudly. Close...she was so close...
When he removed his fingers.
Her eyes opened in shock, to find him watching her lustfully. He was drinking in the sight of her going crazy under his fingers.
"That was to prepare you, " he said.
"Pre-pare me?" she asked huskily.
"For me." And saying so, he slipped his boxers off.
Hermione knew she shouldn't stare, but she did take a long glance. His penis was huge, thick, and Hermione thought...manly. And it was currently standing fully erect.
Remus saw she looked slightly scared. He said, "It only hurts the first time."
Hermione nodded. He reached for his wand, and muttered an incantation at her abdomen. Then he positioned himself in front of her entrance, and slowly, he rubbed the end of his member of her folds. Hermione's hands fisted in the blanket, her hips arching against his, begging him to take her.
And he did. He slid slowly into her, and she felt a sharp burst of pain. She cried out, and he leaned forward to kiss her, slowly and deeply, until the pain faded.
When it did, she nodded at him, and he pulled out of her.
Then he thrust into her again, slowly, and she revelled in the feeling of being filled to bursting.
"F*ck" cried Remus, as Hermione suddenly clenched around him. She iss already so...tight...this is torture.
Starting at a low pace, he began to thrust in and out of her, going deeper and deeper each time. She was first not responding in kind, just moaning and throwing her head back. Then she began to thrust forward to meet him, and the pace slowly built.
"You're a quick learner," growled Remus, as she clenched every time he was deep inside her. He could feel his pleasure hiking...hiking...climbing closer and closer to the peak.
Their pace became quicker and quicker until he was thrusting in and out of her feverishly.
He was close, and he knew she was too. He gave a final thrust, and she convulsed around him, her walls quivering in their first orgasm. Hermione let out a shrill scream as she fell off the cliff, and Remus came, spilling himself inside her.
He pulled out of her, and collapsed next to her.
She was breathing heavily, harsh, deep breaths.
"That...was...amazing..." she said.
"I know," he said. Remus kissed the tip of her ear and whispered, "I love you."
REVIEW! Please...!
I want to know what you think...
Reviews are my breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I didn't have dinner...